Take what you can - Give nothing back !!

The human fascination with the 'wrong' has always intrigued me. Glamor girls have always been attracted to Crime Lords and Mafia Dons. We might give speeches at world conferences and will condemn these criminals in the strongest words while at the same time box office sales for any movie featuring the life of criminals goes through the roof. What is it about crime and criminals that fascinates us so much?

I have been asking myself that question a lot since I saw 'Pirates of the Caribbean II'. So I write this piece - not as a review on the movie - but as an out loud thought process trying to reason this contradictory human triat.

I have always loved pirates. Had we been living in the 17th century - I would have seriously thought about a career in piracy at the sea. We like pirates! Murderers and Looters with not an iota of respect for life or civilized living.

We like Pirates - cos a pirate means - freedom - freedom to do what you want - it means - dexterity - unmatched skill at sea navigation - it means - swimming like a fish - it means - no fear of death - it means no bonds of rules - it means - bravery and courage. Indeed 'Piracy' I belive is one of the few professions that - instead of denying and constraining the most defining human aspect - GREED - embraces it. Not deny that you have greed but live for it!

We may hesitate to accept it - but Greed is what drives the human world. Who doesnt want money? Who doesnt want freedom? Who doesnt want worldly pleasures?

Pirates! They can rob and have as much wealth as they want! They can entertain as many mistresses as they want! They can roam at the whim of their will ! Roam wherever they want!

We like them - cos in the heart - each one of us wants to have great wealth - to enjoy physical pleasure - to live free. Imagine a settled married man - completely respectable - has a nice homely wife - a kid - earns honestly - and lives simple. Give him a wish - an option - to have a life at sea - to flirt with danger and death - to sleep with plenty of beautiful women - to drink - to feast - to dance - to be merry - to command a ship - to terrorize the waters .

Almost all men will be tempted - a few will accept - most will deny out of fear (but wont admit it) - the rare will deny out of conviction and principle. But all things come at a cost - by defying law - you inherently deprive yourself of its protection. You would start great - and run fast and run fierce - but you will soon go out of breath - you will start to realize - that a physical encounter with the most beautiful woman can never match true love - that no amount of money can rival the power of an honest penny - that you can never enjoy that which you havent earned - that which is not truly yours. You may not be cursed by the Heathen Gods but you will certainly be cursed by the souls you plunder. In Captain Barbossa's words - 'The Drink will not satisfy - Food will turn to ash in your mouths - And all the pleasurable company in the world wouldnt slake your lust - You may start being compelled by greed - but soon you will be consumed by it' .

So on second thoughts - I might not actually want to be a pirate. But ........... But what if the Captain is the great 'Jack Sparrow' ? What if the ship is the legendary 'Black Pearl' ? Oh! I dont know - I might easily slip - marry the sea - Take what I can and Give nothing Back!